Milos Raonic: “Sampras is my idol, Djokovic is a good friend and I’d love to have dinner with a Victoria’s Secret model”

Photo Credit to: Dailymail

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This week’s King of the Court is world No 11 Milos Raonic, the Canadian 22-year-old who has won five ATP World Tour titles and finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in the Rogers Cup Masters event in Montreal in August.

Born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (now Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro), Raonic moved to Canada with his family at the age of three and has since become renowned for his massive serve – he hit the second fastest serve of all time on the tour last year at a speed of 155mph.

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What is the best match you have ever played?

Milos: It is tough to really think of one match. I think playing James Blake in the third round of the 2012 US Open was one of the best and cleanest matches I have ever played [Raonic won 6-3, 6-0, 7-6].

What is the worst?

Milos: There are a lot on that side of the list too. I believe it was this year at Wimbledon in the second round against Igor Sijsling [then ranked No 64] when I lost in straight sets. Maybe it was not the worst but it was the one I was most disappointed with.

If you could team up in doubles with any player from history, who would it be and why?

Milos:Pete Sampras. I idolised him and tried to learn as much as I could when I did watch him.

Who are your best friends in the locker room and what do you get up to with them as you travel the world?

Milos: I get along well with Feliciano Lopez, Novak Djokovic, Bernard Tomic and all the former Yugoslavian players. We just have dinners – it is pretty quiet on the tour, not really too much exciting crazy stuff going on.

What is the strangest or funniest question you have been asked in press?

Milos: I was once asked what shirt I will be wearing for my next match.

Who is your favourite sports team or athlete and what is your most memorable moment watching them?

Milos: The Toronto Raptors basketball team. I think we need to create some more memorable moments. We are still working on our history.
I have a few favourite athletes but I really like Michael Jordan. I obviously don’t remember much of watching him live but watching his highlight reels was impressive. I also really enjoy watching Kevin Durant, Sidney Crosby and Steve Nash. The basketball players stand out a little bit for me because it is one of my favourite sports.

What is your favourite travel destination away from the tennis tour?

Milos: I like to go home when I can. That is where I spend my vacations most of the time.

Dailymail Original Full Article can be found by clicking here.

October 25, 2013

College Tennis Alumni at the 2021 Australian Open – Part 1: Men’s Singles by Michal Kokta

February 23, 2021

With the first Grand Slam of the year winding down, I wanted to do a little introduction to the main draw players, who competed on the collegiate level before turning pro. This will be a short series of four parts: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, and women’s doubles.

Week at Wilson – Interview with Pierre Lamarche

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Interview by Blair Rickers, Wilson Sports This week we interview Pierre Lamarche whose career in tennis spans close to 70 years. Canadian Junior and National

A deeper dive into second serve statistics

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The two most widely reported second serve statistics in professional tennis are the number of double faults a player hit, and their second serve winning percentage. If we’re trying to understand the effectiveness of a particular player’s second serve, relying only on those statistics has significant drawbacks. Article by Michal Kokta.

Yves Boulais: No Excuses… Get Working

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Yves was proud to work with players including Greg Rudsedski, Patricia Hy, Oliver Marach, Eugenie Bouchard and Rebecca Marino, who achieved excellent results on the world stage. He was an Olympic Coach in Barcelona 1992 & Atlanta 1996, and Captain of the Canadian FedCup Team 1998 – 2000.

Week at Wilson – Interview with Pierre Lamarche

February 11, 2021

Interview by Blair Rickers, Wilson Sports This week we interview Pierre Lamarche whose career in tennis spans close to 70 years. Canadian Junior and National

Update on UK Tennis Situation with Master Louis Cayer

March 25, 2020

I would like to share a mindset I instil in all the players I coach, one I believe has greatly influenced all of the player’s performances; “whatever happens, I can handle it.” This mindset is achieved through a systematic, tactical development process, so that whoever the opponent, whatever the surface, regardless of the environment, or scoring, the players can, and will rise to the challenge as it is presented.